THEME OF THE READINGSThe extraordinary love of God for us
has taken in Jesus the form of the good shepherd
who “laid down his life for his sheep” (Gospel). He
is the one and only path to salvation for crippled
humanity(Second Reading and Psalm): a salvation that is so profound
it is not limited to an external alteration or a
change in legal status, but actually makes us be children
of God: something to marvel at, even if we don’t
yet know the half of the story (Second Reading).

DOCTRINAL MESSAGEOn Calvary
it seemed Jesus was a complete failure. But the resurrection
has revealed that instead, by that very ‘failure’, he has
become the center of the human story, the corner stone
holding together the dignity of the human person and all
our hope for the future.

In the Christian that dignity
is raised to an unheard of level: we actually are
God’s sons and daughters. It is not a figurative term,
or a purely legal situation, but the expression of our
new reality. As God’s creatures we are a reflection of
his being; as his children we are God’s own family.

And this, although “what we shall later be has not
yet come to light”. That’s the best even inspired words
can do to try to get across to us what
God has done in us. We just haven’t got language
or notions to express it even remotely adequately. It is
all because of the unimaginable richness of his love for
us. We are creatures: we love things because they are.
God is Creator: things are because he loves them. The
more extraordinary the ‘thing’, the greater love is at the
root of them. And there is nothing greater, if we
except the human nature of Jesus himself, than our sharing
in the divine life.

Nor is God’s love one that has
given us this gift and then forgotten us or abandons
us when we abandon him. On the contrary, it has
become incarnate in Jesus. He is, indeed, a strange “center”
of human existence: not an immobile focus in expectation of
human homage, but a shepherd who is permanently in search
of every single lost sheep. He knows each one of
us, through and through, and by name. And he has
not given up even on those who have wandered furthest
away. He will lay down his life for any one
of us.

Catechesis: The effects of baptism, CCC 1262, especially
1265-66 and 1272-73; also 1213 and 1279.

PASTORAL APPLICATIONS

We are still in a situation
where Christ is rejected by “the world”; this is the
way it will always be. Along with him, Christians and
the Church are readily discarded as “not part of the
solution”, or rather, in certain circles, particularly in Europe and wherever the “culture of death” reigns, as definite
obstacles to any “progressive” solution to human problems. But although
this certainly brings about difficulties, adversities and suffering for many
Christians, the most profound loss is suffered by a world
that as a result is at best unaware and unappreciative,
and most often inhabilitated to “be called children of God”.
And that hides from the Good Shepherd seeking out his
lost sheep.

The image of the Good Shepherd was perhaps the
favorite early Christian image of our Savior. He is still
seeking out the ones who have strayed away, or have
never been near him. But he needs feet to go
where they are, hands to reach out to them, tongues
to speak to them his warm words of invitation and
welcome. How many inactive Catholics, or people who attend no
church, are there on your street? Imagine if on every
street there was just one family that visited their neighbors
in a friendly, inviting way on behalf of the Catholic
Church, to see how they might be helped –or welcomed
home? How many more tired, stray sheep would experience the
arms of the Good Shepherd reaching out to lift them
up and carry them home. He wants to, but he
can’t do it without us.

This is Vocation Sunday. Jesus
has always shepherded his people through those to whom, following
Peter and his apostles, he has repeated, “Feed my sheep”
(John 21:15-17). He is still calling young men to the
priesthood as shepherds, and young women to consecrated life where
they can exercise their “feminine genius” of caring for God’s
loved ones. We have to be truly grateful for the
ones who listen to his call and are willing, like
him, to “lay down their life”, freely. It is, after
all, the only life they have. And they give it
up, to shepherd his people. I have always admired the
fact that there are young Christians around us who are
prepared to think, “Well, I do only have one life;
but there are others who need that life of mine
more than I need it myself”. And they give it.
They really are the greatest among us.

Pray that our parish, that your family,
will have young men and women of such a quality
of love. Don’t just pray: educate your children to love
that much. Be always ready to let go of them
if they are that special; never stop them looking to
see if God has put a heart that big in
them. Young people, encourage your friends who might be
ready to give the gift of themselves. Look into your
own heart, and see if you have that much love
there. And if you do, don’t be afraid to ask
the Lord, “Are you calling me?”